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friday, april 4, 1975
lincoln, nebraska vol. 98 no. 106
owntown, housing- issues in council primary
Editor's Note: This is the first of two articles on
candidates running for city office in the upcoming
primary election.
By Lori Demo, Gina Hills and Jim Zalewski
Fifteen Lincolnites coming from a variety of
occupations and backgrounds will be seeking the
same goal come April 8.
All of them are on the City Council primary
election ballot and will be trying to be one of the
eight highest vote-getters. Those eight finishers will
vie for four council seats in the May 6 general
election.
Current council President Hellen Booslis will not
bid for reelection, opting instead to run for mayor.
But the other three incumbent members whose terms
expire, will be on the ballot.
Councilman Richard Baker, 38, who is seeking
reelection, is running an "independent campaign"
with the help of two others.
In addition, his campaign is financed by
contributions, which have amounted to about
$1,400, he said.
Lincoln growth
Baker, a pharmacist, said one of the main issues of
his campaign is the growth of Lincoln. He said he is
opposed to the "no growth" concept but added that
care must be taken in considering the "type of
growth we want in Lincoln."
He said he also is concerned with "rehabilitating
Lincoln housing and supporting Lincoln police.
"People who are criticizing the Lincoln Police are
criticizing them because they're (the police) doing
their job," he said.'
Baker also said emphasis must be placed on
revitalizing downtown Lincoln. "The downtown is
the shopping area used by most UNL students," he
added.
"And if downtown parking were improved, this
would help the problem of off-campus parking for
UNL students," Baker said.
Second term
. Jncumbent councilman Bob Sikyta, 47, owner of a
heating and air conditioning business, is running for
his second term on the council.
Sikyta said he is running on his past record of
what he called an aggressive councilman. He said he
has spent $800 to $900 on his campaign.
Many items currently before the council which
have not been finished made him decide to run for
the council again, he said.
He said these issues include the comprehensive
plan, the appointment of a new police and fire chief,
the county-city merger, the better allotment of space
in the County City Building and housing. ,
"We know something has to be done to improve
and acquire additional housing units for lincoln,"
Sikyta said.
Filed late
Steve Cook, a 49-year-old architect, said his
budget is being prepared now, but he has already
incurred approximately $300 in expenses, he said.
Downtown development is the main issue, Cook
said.
"No one has been moving with the comprehensive
plan," he said. "I believe we have to hire an urban
development coordinator to strengthen and
implement the plan."
The city must also work to provide housing ia the
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downtown area for the elderly and the handicapped,
he said. This would make it easier for them to get to
the services they may need, Cook said.
Carnival atmosphere
Cook, a political independent, said he would also
like to go through the health board to get permits to
allow sidewalk cafes and vendors in the downtown
area.
"I would like to create a different, carnival-type
atmosphere," Cook said. "Mini-parks where people
could sit and eat or just talk would add a new
atmosphere to the whole downtown area."
Cook, who is seeking his second term on the
council, said he has been involved in city government
for the past 1 1 years, working with the codes study
committee and the planning commission.
A more business-like reorganization of the council
is needed, he said. Strict adherence to time limits
should be followed at hearings and the-council should
set dates to follow for the implementation of their
comprehensive downtown plan, he said.
Students downtown
Students would be most directly affected by the
plans for the downtown area, he said. He said the
proposals to change the downtown atmosphere would
attract even more students to the area.
Steve Tiwald, 25, is campaigning primarily by
personal contact. He and his more than 100 campaign
workers have collected about $3,500, he said.
"I wanted to be involved in lincoln in more of a
personal way," he said. "That's why I'm running for
councilman."
Previously he has served on several city
committees, he said. He said he has been on the city's
goals and policy committee and the community
development task force.
Improve bus system
Tiwald, a health planner for the state, said he also
wants rehabilitation of Lincoln housing. In addition,
he said he would like to see improvements made in
the bus system. , ;
Attempts should be made by the city to help
traffic congestion and the gai shortage and curb
pollution, he said. "By improving the bus system, this
could be done," he said.
Ron Kurtenbach, on the other hand, said he thinks
it's important to deal directly with the Lincoln
community first. Kurtenbach, 32, said he would like
to see a redistribution of wealth in Lincoln.
He also said he would like to "control the O St.
Gang and their profiteering." A more democratic city
council is needed, the Gazette newspaper editor and
UNL janitor said.
' Kurtenbach said he has "run a very minimal
campaign" and has raised about $100, which may be
used for a newspaper advertisement. But he said he
thinks "the media should be open to free expression
and candidates shouldn't have to pay for ads."
No money
But Rudolph Deinert, 65, and Stephen Marx, 36
haven't spent any money on their campaigns and said
they don't plan to.
Marx said he is primarily campaigning by word of
mouth and Deinert from door to door.
Deinert, a real estate broker, said he doesn't think
Lincoln appreciates UNL and he thinks the city
should donate land and furnish entertainment for the
students.
He added that "Lincoln would be lost without the
Case to go to ASUN
University."
Marx, a pharma' ;st, said he thinks the major issues
of his campaign are "downtown redevelopment and
problems of the elderly."
"I'm running just for the people," he said. "I've
lived in Lincoln all my life and I see and hear what's
on their minds."
The only woman running for the Council is Mary
Rogge, 32, a part-time pharmacist and housewife.
She said her campaign consists of radio spots on
two radio stations and flyers. All but $10 of the $150
she has spent on her campaign has been her own
money, she said.
Rogge said the main issues before the Council will
be the downtown parking situation, downtown
beauiification and housing for the elderly.
She said she thinks the Centrum Redevelopment
Plan to beautify downtown Lindoln is a good idea,
but should be voted on by Lincoln citizens. Under
the plan, the city would buy some downtown land
from 1 1th ,to 12th, and N to O Sts.
"I've heard a lot of negative criticism about this,"
she said. "I'm not sure I want O St. closed. Parking is
the more urgent problem."
Housing
Rogge said she favors housing for the elderly, such
as the retirement village Tabitha Nursing home is
planning. She would rather see the taxpayers' money
go to help housing than to the Centrum project, she
said.
Rogge said she decided to run for the Council
because, as a pharmacist, she has "experience
listening to people.
"We need more people in the Council who other
citizens would talk to," she said. "It seems many
people are in awe of Council members and are afraid
to air their complaints."
City council candidate William Thierston, 39, an
attorney, said he has spent $600 on his campaign.
Thierston said he sees low-income and elderly
housing, the transportation system and the Centrum
plan as the major issues facing the Council.
Combine control
He said low-income and elderly housing should not
be handled totally by private individuals nor by the
Lincoln Housing Authority. A combination of the
two is needed, he said.
Compared to a few years ago, the Lincoln
Transportation System (LTS) is "great," he said, but
it could use more routes, more frequent bus runs and
extended minibus service to encourage riders.
Thierston also said the Council needs to increase
the amount of parking available in downtown
Lincoln.
"I've been a resident of Lincoln for 28 years," he
said, "and we've never gotten enough parking for
people once they get downtown."
He said the Council, though, may have some
problems on the question of whether it can condemn
private property and then sell it to private owners.
Business, law degrees
Thierston, who has undergraduate and masters
degrees in business, along with his law degree, said his
background in these two areas will help him in
dealing with Council matters.
Another candidate who said he thinks his past
experience would help is Robert Muggy, 56, a
plumber and maintenance supervisor.
Continued on p. 9
RHA will not convene court
RIIA president-elect Sac Ihne
Photo by 7d Kirk
By Marian Lucas
AJ1 cases appealed to the Residence Hall
Association's (RHA) court will be referred to
ASUNs court for the remainder of this semester,
RHA decided Thursday night.
The status of the RHA judicial court was
questioned after Ron Hutchinson, a Heppner
Hall resident, asked RHA to declare Monday's
election invalid because he was denied the right
to vote at Cather-Pound-Neihardt Residence
Center (CPN).
Election ballots at CPN were misplaced for
one hour Monday and Hutchinson said that was
the only time he could have voted.
RHA's election committee Wednesday
rejected an appeal by losing candidates Ray
Waldcn and Kathy Whittakcr for an additional
hour of polling time at CPN, and Sue Ihne, a
Sandoz Hall resident, was declared the winner.
The RHA Constitution provides for election
appeals to the RHA court.
Tim Evcnsen, present RHA president,
appointed Joe Lux, president of Scllcck Hall, to
serve as the court's Chief Justice. But RHA's full
council voted against accepting Lux, thereby
preventing the creation of a court and rejecting
Hutchinson's appeal. The vote was 9-0, with nine
abstentions.
The Constitution states that two-thirds of the
voting members must approve the selection.
"Since this body is unable or unwilling to take
care of its own matters, then any appeals should
be taken to ASUN," said Evensen. "We're
hurting ourselves by not having the court."
Karen Lundquist, president of Abel-Sandoz
Residence Association, said the reason for the
nine abstentions was that they beiieved RHA
wasn't capable of composing an unbiased court
and that the most objective court would be
ASUNY
Ihne and her, vice-presidential running mate
Karen Lundquist will assume their respective
offices Monday.
In other business, Smith Hall was granted
$300 to finance a 50's dance Saturday, April 12,
at Men's PE Building as part of RHA Week.
Ken Swcrdlow, assistant director of housing,
said he would grant Smith the money with the
stipulation that RHA collect all money up to
$300 from the dance.